Hell Hath No Fury
by obeydontstray
Summary: Sequel to 'Rules'. Bray's family is falling apart. Is he pushing the Wyatts away intentionally? What will become of the ones he's held close all this time?
1. Time is on My Side

_**A/N: hey guys, sorry for the wait. I've been in a slump lately, to say the least. But I'm hoping this is a decent enough start to a sequel. You guys seemed to love the first so much, I hope I don't disappoint!**_

 _Prologue_

Darkness. Wet soil against cold skin. A stabbing pain behind the eyelids. When she opened her eyes a blanket of starry sky spread before her, framed by long tendrils of spanish moss reaching out for her. Her muscles felt heavy as lead and her body refused to move under her command. Above the vultures circled, eyeballing their possible prey. She struggled to move fingers, feet, arms. Then with all her might she sat up, pushing her long dirty hair from her face. He left her there. Bray left her alone. She stood tenderly, trying to brush the leaves and muck from her linen sundress. Then she did the only thing she knew to do. She walked. Barefoot around cyprus knees and tiptoeing across soft ground.

At home Bray the tossed her sandals into the corner of his room. His room, and his room alone. There was no place for her here anymore. There was no need for her tender flesh anymore. Quickly he hid the very few signs she was ever there at all. Anything feminine was tossed into a trunk and shoved into the back of the closet. Save for one picture. Taking a seat on the floor, he leaned back against the bed as he fished in his pocket for his knife. With great gentleness he removed her picture from the frame and looked it over. It was taken at the beginning of their game, during one of their backroom escapades. She was so pretty, so innocent looking. Her eyes heavy and lustful as she looked at him behind the camera. Bray sighed heavily and unfolded his knife, scratching over the eyes in the picture. Then he sealed it back into the frame and placed it back on his bedside. A testament to his latest mistake. When he leaned on the windowsill he stared into the inky blackness of the night, wondering if she were dead yet.

Downstairs Erick looked at him with pleading eyes. "It'll do you best to forget about her, brother." "What have you done with her?" Erick roared, grabbing Bray by the collar of his hawaiian shirt and shoving him against the wall. Fearless, Bray laughed in the bigger man's face. "What I do with all my broken toys. I discarded her." Luke crossed the room at the sight of Erick's balled fist, dragging him away from their leader. "She's a person!" Erick yelled as Luke pushed him by the shoulders, putting his own body between Erick and Bray. "So is everyone else, brother. What makes her so special? What makes her any different that the bodies you've smashed your way through all these years?" Erick couldn't answer as he slumped against the pantry door with tears welling up in his eyes. "I asked you a question, boy." Bray demanded, crossing the room towards the bigger man. "What makes her any different?" He asked, getting in Erick's face. "Did you love her?" He asked gruffly. "She wasn't yours to love, Rowan. She was mine to fuck." Erick glared at him through his tears, his blood boiling. He stood suddenly, pushing Bray backwards as he did so. "I'm with you because I wasn't treated as a human. Not because I wanted to do the same to others!" Bray laughed again, shaking his head at Erick. "The wolves are not the same as the sheep, my boy. Sheep are to be dined upon, not hold power." Luke followed Erick, trying his best to keep him from leaving. "Let him go, brother." Bray commanded.

"You'll come running back. You'll come running back to me!" Bray sang loudly from the porch as Erick bounded down the steps and began the walk back to town.


	2. Survival

_a/n: sorry about the delay you guys! There was several ways I could go from that last chapter, but I think I found the right path hopefully! I hope this isn't too hokey! I know the last line is if you're u buy it at face value but um..._ _Foreshadowing_ _Enjoy!_

I doubled over and fell to my knees, my vision swirling behind my eyelids. The bile reached the back of my throat, fighting me and ultimately winning. Wave after wave of foulness came up, keeping me on all fours. What has Bray done to me? Another wave of nastiness. I can hear them in the distance. The rustling, the rumbling, the swamp is alive all around me. And my only hope is to keep walking. If I can just keep walking, maybe I can reach a roadway before a gator reaches me. Or any other sharp-toothed beast that may be sniffing about. I get back to my feet again and brace myself on the nearest tree. It'll be a miracle if I get out of here without a snakebite. I wander along at a hurried pace, trying my best to get out of the swamp before sundown. The idea of camping out here is not that appealing to me. I don't exactly understand what went wrong with Bray. I understand that he's tossed me aside, but why? And what did he do to me? My head is still swimming like I'm having the worst hangover of my life. That drink he offered me! It was his, but come to think of it I don't remember him actually drinking from it. That bastard! He drugged me! My anger pushes me forward now. Being roofied by a god damn cult leader in training. Being dumped barefoot in a dress in the middle of the fucking swamp. And being relentlessly pursued by these god damned mosquitos! I hear the hiss and before I can register the sound, pain shoots up my leg, radiating to the pit of my stomach. Quickly I grab a nearby rock, pulling the snake away from me and bashing it's brains with a rock. "Godamnit!" I hiss under my breath, reaching for the pair of angry red puncture wounds on my ankle.

This is it, isn't it? I'm going to die in a god forsaken swamp. And not a soul will care. I'll lay here until I'm part of the Earth again. And Bray Wyatt will sit back in his rocking chair with that stupid smile on his face. I rip the bottom part of my dress up to mid-thigh into long strips. So much for modesty. But I tie the tourniquet above the wound to buy myself some time. Making sure to stay away from the head, I take the rattlesnake's rattle. Whenever my body is found at least they'll know I won, by god. And I start walking again. I walk until the sun dips low and the woods come alive with the sounds of every other creature out there looking to kill me. I grip the bloody stone so hard my knuckles turn white. I walk until my ankle locks up, forcing me to drag my leg along for the journey. I walk until the pain swirls in the pit of my stomach, burning like a fifth of strong whiskey. I walk until I'm forced to double over, spilling what was left of my last meal at the compound onto the forrest floor. I walk until everything goes black and I feel hard wet Earth beneath my cheek.

Behind my eyelids, I'm with Bray again. His cool fingers against my forehead as he pushes my wet hair away from my face. "Remember, puppet. The rattlesnake's skin is the same color as the leaves."


	3. Comin Home

An: Special thanks to Morrowsong for pointing out that the chapter got messed up. Here's the fixed version, and I have a update to post too. (To my guest who commented, I hope you like it!)

Warmth. Country music. My head is throbbing so badly, it's a chore to even open my eyes. When I'm able to, a large bearded man fills my vision. "You're finally awake." He says, his eyes leaving the road long enough to look at me. "I need a hospital. Please." I manage to say, my mouth as dry as a creek bed. I've never seen him before, and a sense of dread fills my stomach. "Good thinking, keeping the rattle. I knew exactly what anti-venom to give you." I sighed deep and laid back in the seat. Whomever he was, those were comforting words to hear. "You're really lucky I saw you. I'm a snake handler by trade." I feel his hand on my ankle, he turns it gently to look at the bite and runs his thumb across it. "Owfuck!" "You can still feel the wound, you're gonna be okay." I fuss a bit and he pats my knee. "I deal with this sort of thing all the time." "Please take me home. My husband will be missing me." I figured that handle fit the situation. Husband. The stranger looks at me briefly before turning his eyes back to the road. "Where's home?" "Do you know where Wyatt Hollow is?"

Luke sits on the porch, his long legs outstretched with his ankles crossed on the bannister. Erick has yet to come home and Bray paces upstairs like a caged animal. He's restless, and Luke tends to stick close to him. Bray goes through phases of trying to push the boys away. Erick usually gives in, finds his way to the village for a few days. But Luke has to be there to pick up the pieces when Bray self destructs again. He whittles a piece of wood as he rocks gently back and forth in the rocking chair, listening to the commotion building upstairs. Bray's throwing furniture again, howling Abigail's name. Luke sighed to himself, pausing to wipe his blade on his faded pants leg. Was Bray's mourning for mother Abigail or for that two bit hussy that's been occupying his bed and sharing her name?

Braun. Braun Strowman was the name of the hulking figure behind the wheel of the square body Chevy currently taking me home. I'm coming home, whether Bray Wyatt likes it or not. My old life before the Wyatts has ceased to exist anymore, and without them I'm nothing. I feel like a lost child without Bray by my side. Like I've been stripped of my entire life. My entire existence revolves around waking up in that old house every day. And when I come home, things are going to be different. I feel like Braun could be one of the missing pieces in this equation. "So what's you're name, sweetheart?" He asks as I point him in the direction of home. "Abigail." His eyes leave the road briefly to land on me. "Must be some kinda man to have you living this far out in the woods." He mumbles as we leave the paved road, down the dirt road I know like the back of my hand. "Oh he is, trust me. He'll want to tell you thank you for bringing me home." "What were you doing barefoot in the woods anyway, Abby?" The nickname makes my skin crawl, I'm so used to only hearing Bray call me by that handle. "I lost my way." "You know, I always heard the Devil resides in Wyatt Holler." We both chuckle at his witty response. "Yeah, I met him a time or two."


	4. Thunderstorms

_**An: I'm a dummy for deleting that last chapter imstead of replacing it. I didn't know I could. So Marrowind and my other guest, I did see your comments :) So, It was storming here when I wrote this :) The song at the end is 'Time is on my side' by the Rolling Stones. All credit to them. And I recommend looking up the song 'Thunderstorm' by Soja for this chapter. That's the vibe I was looking for. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, sorry it took so long to update. Real life has been hard lately and it's killed my creativity. But, kinda getting back to the roots of Abigail and Bray's relationship. He won't let her stay angry. I think if you go back and read the first chapter of Rules and then this chapter, it shows how different their relationship is. Anyway, enjoy!**_

"Come, my girl." Bray said softly as he grabbed me by the hand and lead me to the porch. Luke had his hands full with the hulking Strowman as they dragged him to the obey room. Bray sat in his rocking chair, pulling me sideways into his lap. "You came back." He said as his gloved hand ran the length of my bare legs as he rocked us gently. I glanced out into the darkening sky and frowned. "I don't know why I always end up coming back." He laughed, low and deep in his chest as he pushed my hair behind my ear. "You're right where you belong." He reached over for his glass of sweet tea as he continued rocking us slowly. "I hate the hold you have over me." The cool wind was picking up as a storm rolled in to interrupt the lazy summer evening. He tilted his glass, drinking deep before answering me. "I have no hold over you, you came back on your own." He replied as he passed me the glass. "And brought a new child into our family. A child we can raise together." Guilt twisted me up inside. Braun was nice to me, now he was loosing the rest of his life. I wonder if he had a wife at home. Maybe children. Children that may spot their wayward father years from now as they're flipping through tv channels.

Thunder startled me from my thoughts and Bray leaned closer to me, his lips on my ear. "I'm so glad you're home." "I could have died, Bray!" I showed him the ragged wound on my ankle. "You know the old saying, if you love something, let it go." He sighed, leaning back in the chair. "And you came back to me." Love. The first time he'd even mentioned that word to me. His hand stroked my face as he turned my eyes to him. "I love you, Abigail." It began to rain as he stood, lifting me. With one hand he grabbed his leather vest, throwing it on the porch before laying me down. My mind protested, trying to hold onto the anger, but my body ached for him as he took his time removing my clothes. The cold air made my skin prickle as he lay kisses on my chest and my stomach. As he moved lower he lifted my ankle to him, kissing the wound. "I'm sorry, little one. Let me make it up to you." He lay kissed along my thighs until his talented tongue began making me squirm beneath his grasp. He pushed me to the edge and then over, watching me as my body shuddered under him. He pulled back onto his heels, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "Good girl." He said heavily as he freed himself from his jeans. Pulling my hips closer, he settled between my legs and filled me, leaning down to kiss me so I could taste myself on his lips. Lightning struck somewhere nearby as he rocked me in rhythm, ignoring the rain that wet his hair and shoulders as it blew in. "You're mine, Abigail." He hissed into my ear as his pace quickened. "Never forget that." My mind emptied completely as he pushed me closer to the edge again. His hands held my hips tight enough to bruise as we collided against each other, a race to climb that mountain at the same time. His body shook in time with mine as he leaned over me, his wet hair cold against my skin. With his hand between us rubbing a slow rhythm, he sent me over the edge and followed behind me, panting against my ear as he rocked slower against me. "Oh god, I've missed you." He zipped up his jeans and lay next to me on the floor, sheltering my body from the rain. He held me close as we listened to the rain on the tin roof.

His hand rested between my legs and he rubbed lazy circles with his thumb, making my body hum. He may have finished, but he wasn't finished with me yet. "Come on little one, one more time for me." He whispered before moving between my thighs again. This was as close to an apology as I was ever going to get as his nails raked my thighs, his hair obscuring him from my vision. He paused and uncovered his face, his blue eyes on me as he worked me over again. Quickly I was over the edge again, my hands clutching his hair as I came undone. He grinned up at me as he lay his face on my stomach, his beard scratching my skin. "I guess I didn't disappoint ya darlin." "You never do." I replied, struggling to regain my breath. With a smug smile on his face he reached for his tea glass, taking a long draw before laying back down and pulling me on top of him. We watched the lightning flash around us as he petted my hair and sang to me. I could feel his heart hammering beneath my ear and the rumble of his voice as he sang. "You always say that you wanna be free. But you'll come running back to me."


	5. Breaking Me

Five days. It took Braun five days in the obey room. Every night Bray would pace in our bedroom, driving me crazy. "He's a strong spirited one." He observed one night. "Once we break him, he'll make a great brother for the cause." Another pang of guilt hit me and I hugged my knees to my chest. One the third day I heard screaming downstairs. He sounded more animal than human, like an animal backed into a corner. I remember my time in the obey room and I shudder. Maybe one day I'll loose this guilt. On the fifth day Braun emerged, wild eyed and dirty. I can't look him in the face.

It takes Erick a full week to come home. I was sitting indian style on the porch at Bray's feet when I caught a glimpse of olive green coming up the driveway. I could feel Bray's icy glare as I bounded down the steps and into Erick's arms. He held me close, lifting me off the ground. "I thought you were gone forever, sister." He mumbled into my hair. "We're home Erick. We can be a family again." He glances over my head, locking eyes with Bray. "Maybe so, little sister." Luke busts through the doorway, the screen door banging against the house. "It's about time you came home. Are you done pouting?" Erick glared at him, dropping me to his side. "Abby can't cook for shit." He complained as he took a seat in a rocking chair next to Bray and resting his feet on the bannister. "I tried." I protested.

Erick and I spent the rest of the day in the kitchen as he gave me lessons. After the past week of burned biscuits and soggy rice, Luke and Bray agreed that I needed help. I watched Erick's hands skillfully make biscuits from scratch and I began to wonder about his life before the Wyatts. Where did the gentle giant learn to cook? I thought about asking him then thought better of it. I don't think much about my life before Bray, I assume Erick doesn't either. "You're getting better." He observed as I worked alongside him. "Thanks. I've never been much of the domestic type." "Everyone's got to eat." He said with a shrug. "Luke and Bray hunt, we cook."

Over dinner that night, Bray introduced Erick to Braun. "Our newest brother in the cause. Sister Abigail's black sheep." Erick's eyes narrowed and I could see his wheels turning in his head. Was this Erick's replacement? The air in the room stiffened, the tension thick. Under the table, out of Bray's eyesight, I reached for Erick's hand and squeezed it tight. "Sister Abby brought him to us." Braun surveyed everyone in the room with his wild eyed gaze, his eyes resting on Bray with adoration. I wondered briefly what sort of teachings Bray has explained to him. I was never told of the mighty cause, never told of Sister Abigail's master plan. I served a different role completely. I was never expected to fight, only to share Bray's bed. The thought burned in my skull, making me feel worthless and used. I ached to mean as much to Bray as his boys did.

Bray, Luke, and Braun sat in the rocking chairs on the porch. Passing a mason jar of home made moonshine between them and watching the lightning bugs. Erick lead me to the kitchen, on a mission for something sweet. He knows I hate it when Bray drinks. At the table he slid me a piece of pecan pie that he's made earlier while I struggled with making dinner. The reviews on dinner were better this time, but Luke made sure to let me know that Erick's cooking was better. Erick and I glanced at each other as we ate and I struggle for something to talk with him about. He never was a man of many words. "Thanks for the help tonight." He nodded, taking a bite of his pie. "Get up early in the morning and you can help me make breakfast." I nodded, wondering if I could escape Bray that early. He let Erick and I be alone in the kitchen but he always stayed close, keeping an eye on me. I thanked Erick for the pie and bid him goodnight before heading up to my room to get ready for bed.

About an hour later, just as I was drifting off to sleep, I heard the heavy footfalls on the stairs. Luke burst through the door with Bray's arm over his shoulders, dragging our wasted leader to our bed. Bray's cheeks were flushed and he babbled something to himself before laughing gleefully. Luke stared me down as he got Bray into bed, tugged off his boots, and tucked the blankets in around him. I felt like an intruder in my own bedroom, watching Luke fuss over Bray. I get the sense I'm interrupting a ritual the two had shared for years. As Luke turned to leave, Bray reached out and grabbed the bigger man's arm. "Stay." He slurred. "She's here. She can take care of you." Luke said coldly before leaving. Bray rolled over and dragged me as close to him as possible. "I love you, Abigail." He mumbled in my ear before burying his face in my hair and promptly falling asleep.


	6. Human

In the morning I heard the heavy footsteps up the stairs again. Without knocking, Luke came through the doorway. Bray lay wrapped around my lower half, snoring softly, and Luke eyed us with malice. On Bray's nightstand he lay a few white pills, a glass of water, and the last swig of moonshine in the jar. Without a word he turned on his heels and left the room. I don't know what foreign territory I've intruded on, but uneasiness pooled in my belly where Bray's head lay. This entire scene is strange. There was something about the way his arms were wrapped around my hips. He stirred slightly in his sleep, his face upturned towards me. I noticed the light freckles across his cheeks. His long eyelashes. There was something so very different about him. Peaceful. He looked younger, childlike even. Human. Even with all his power and influence, my lover is still human.

When I ran my fingers through his dark hair, he woke with a start. His breathing grew erratic and heavy as he eyed me with some sort of suspicion, maybe fear? There was no recognition in his expression, as if he woke up with a total stranger. He darted from our bed, tripping on the sheets as he went and he fell on his knees in the door frame of the bathroom. I seen him crawl towards the clawfoot tub before slamming the door shut. From the bed I could hear banging noises and then an anguished cry, like a wounded animal. Before I could get to the door, Luke had bounded up the stairs and pushed me backwards onto the bed. "Go downstairs." He ordered through gritted teeth before opening the door and sliding inside.

Not wanting to follow any sort of order from Luke, I stood close to the door and tried my best to listen. There was vomiting sounds and then sobbing. "Where am I?" Bray said in an anguished voice between sobs. Luke replied to him, but he spoke so low that I could barely hear. Worried that he was hurt, I kneeled down and peered through the keyhole. I couldn't see Luke but Bray was propped against the tub, his hair obscuring most of his ashen face. I could see the tears sliding down his cheek before he wiped them away with the back of his hand. He stared at the doorway, making me paranoid that somehow he could see me peeking inside. "I want to go home." He sputtered, his breath still hitching in his throat. It scared the hell out of me when suddenly the keyhole went dark and the doorknob turned above me. I scrambled backwards and hit the bed frame as Luke stepped outside and headed for the nightstand. "I said go downstairs!" He bellowed as he retrieved the items he brought earlier. I peaked through the doorway as I passed and Bray lay flat on his back. As I watched his back arched off of the floor and he stood on all fours, his back still to the floor, his head hanging downward. Frightened, I managed to make my way down the staircase and to the kitchen table where Erick and Braun still sat. Looking at my face, something clicked with Erick and he took off upstairs, leaving me alone with Braun. "I'm sorry, Braun." My voice betrays me, coming out small and childlike. He vaguely acknowledged that I spoke to him, but I don't think understood what I meant. We sat in silence until Erick and Luke came back downstairs.

I begged Erick to tell me anything, to tell me if Bray was okay. "He'll be fine." Luke answered for him. "What the hell was that? That was like something from the Exorcist!" Luke chuckled to himself. "You should have left the room the first time I told you." Erick shot me a sad expression but I knew I wouldn't be able to pry any information from him. I made it to the staircase before Luke wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me backwards. "Why don't you go outside and play for a bit, kid?" He sneered. I turned in his grasp and tried to punch him but he easily avoided me and laughed. He dragged me to the screen door and opened it with one arm, tossing me onto the porch. "And stay out!" He spat, slamming the door behind him. Erick came to me, taking my hands into his own. "There's some things here that you're better off not knowing." He explained, his warm hands covering mine. "Bray just needs a little space sometimes." "He was bent over backwards, Erick! What the fuck was that?" He only sighed and kissed my forehead. "Please, don't question it any further. The less you know, the better." "Am I sleeping with a monster?" He sighed heavily and stood up, peering down at me. "We're all monsters here, Abby."

Erick kept me busy with baking lessons the rest of the day. It was sundown and I was pulling a tray of cookies from the oven when Bray came downstairs. Erick tried to stop me but I set the cookies down, flung off the cooking mittens, and ran to him. I stopped short, thinking of the last time I saw him. "Afternoon, darlin." He opened his arms to me and when I didn't come to him, he stepped closer. "Everything is okay now, I'm sorry I scared you." He wrapped his big arms around me and held me tightly to him. "What the fuck was that?" Was all I could manage to say against his chest. "Just a bad hangover, you now I can't hold my alcohol." He petted my hair and kissed the top of my head. "Everything's okay now."

I barely slept at all that night. I kept waking up every so often so see Bray sleeping with that peaceful look on his face. He caught me watching him once and he pulled me across the bed and closer to him. "Everything is okay, little one." "I don't feel safe anymore, Bray." He held me close to his chest, where I could hear the steady rhythm of his heart beneath my ear. "See? I still play the same song." His warmth and heartbeat lulled me to sleep against my will as he held me close.


	7. Transition

Three days later Bray and I argued as he packed his suitcase. "You can't leave me here alone again." I pleaded with him. "This house is too big without you here, Bray." "I can't take you with me, Abby. Given your past status with the company, questions may arise if you suddenly show back up. Questions I'd rather not be called to answer." "Then don't leave. Please, Bray." He turned to me then, taking my face in his hands. "You know I have a message I have to deliver. I have work to do." Against my will, angry tears blur my vision. "What message is that? What's so important that you have to leave me again? It's just a stupid wrestling show." He pulled me to him, pressing me against his chest. "It's an international platform, little one. My soapbox. I have to spread Sister Abigail's message." My hands grip his shirt tightly, my tears wetting his shoulder. "I hate her." I dare to say, and I wait for the repercussions. He makes a sound of disproval as he sits on the bed, pulling me to straddle his lap. "There would be no me without Abigail, my dear. She made me who I am. Luke and Erick too. Without Abigail, none of this would exist." "Who are you, Bray? Who were you before Abigail?" He buried his face in my hair as he rocked me gently from side to side, his arms wrapped tightly around me. "Broken. Abigail saved me. And because she did, I was able to save you."

Unable to get anything other than vague, cryptic answers about the cause, I decided to change tactics. "Don't you miss me when you're on the road?" "Every day." He replies, kissing the top of my head. "Take me with you, and if anyone asks questions, I'll tell them the truth. I needed you." "No one will understand us, Abby. No one will understand everything we built together since you left them." "No one has to understand!" I fume, hitting his chest with my palms. "I don't understand. I need to go out and live the Cause myself. Everything is meaningless from this pedestal you put me on." His fingers traced my spine as he held me, silent in what I hoped was consideration. "I'll stay in your hotel rooms, no one has to know I'm with you. Please, Bray. I can't stay in this house alone. She haunts every corner of this home, and she doesn't like me being here." Sister Abigail proved her jealously towards me once before, and I still skulk around the house at night. I'm not worthy of heading this family with Bray, and she makes sure that I know it. Bray sighed heavily as he tangled his fingers in my hair. "Pack lightly. Take only what you absolutely need. But..." He tugged my hair, pulling my head back and exposing my throat to him. He lay kisses along my jaw as he laid out his conditions. "You're going to lay low and not expose your presence to anyone in the WWE. Understood?" "Understood."

I sat between Bray and Luke in the truck, Erick and Braun sitting amongst our luggage in the back. Luke sat with his legs spread out as much as he could manage in the old truck with his arm across the back of the seat. Anxiety plagues me as we leave Wyatt Hollow, but I try my best to not show it. Leaving is scary, but not as scary as staying home alone again. Luke reaches across me and fiddles with the radio dials until he finds an old country station and moves his arm back behind me. The music makes me remember when I first met Braun, and another pang of guilt hits me. I could have gotten him to drive me to a hospital, to leave the Hollow behind, but Bray's hold over me is much too strong. Bray's hand rests on my thigh possessively as he drives, moving occasionally to shift gears between my legs. In the cold night air I sit close to him, sharing his warmth.

I see their faces as we stride past other travelers in the airport. I see the looks of distrust, of fear. The airport seems way too cold, too sterile. The overwhelming whiteness of everything hurts my eyes after spending so much time indoors. When Bray leaves me behind to buy tickets, Erick takes my hand. Which Bray eyes disapprovingly when he returns, but he doesn't protest. Erick continues to keep me close until we board the plane. He takes a window seat and surprisingly Bray directs me to sit beside him before taking the aisle seat for himself. Braun and Luke take seats behind us, an empty seat between them. I half listen to Bray as he sweet talks the stewardess. Resentment rises in me when he refers to her as darlin and sweetie but as soon as she's out of sight he turns his attentions back to me. In the middle of the night he instructs me on our little game and chases me up the aisle to the bathroom. In the cramped room he devours me, delighted at the fact that I can't keep quiet with his mouth all over me. As we make our way back to our seats he grins like the cheshire cat, making sure all the attendants know what just transpired. Erick's awake still and pretends he doesn't know anything. Many sleepless hours later we arrive at our destination. Bray rents a van to transport us all to the hotel near the coliseum and almost as soon as I sink into the hotel bed I slip off into unconsciousness.

In the morning he's gone. And the note he left by the bed reminds me not to leave this room.


	8. Changes

A week of hiding out in the hotel room later, I was dying of boredom. Bray hardly spent any time in our room, and though I knew why, it still left me feeling lonely. I just wanted to be outside this room. My gaze fell on my black hoodie and I made possibly the worst decision of my life. I could go outside with my hoodie up, no one would recognize me. Right? I won't stay out long. Just take a quick walk to clear my head and be right back. By now I knew where Bray hid our extra room key, I pretended to be asleep whenever he'd hide it at night. Under his pillow. How unoriginal, Bray. I hoped that he had forgotten it today. When my fingers found the cool plastic of the card, I could barely contain myself. Now I have a way back in my room when I get back. Bray will never notice a thing. I grab my headphones on the way out of the door. A walk and a few tunes will make me feel better.

I look down at my feet as I walk down the hall, scared of looking up and taking the chance of someone seeing me. With my music playing in my ears, I tried my hardest to be invisible. My plan failed completely when I ended up colliding with a solid wall of muscle, nearly knocking me on my ass. I scramble to pull my headphones from my ears and hide my face. "Ey sorry about that, fella." Oh no. He grabs me by the shoulder and turns me to face him and his expression says everything. "Abby?" "Hi Sheamus..." He grabs me then, pulling me in for a tight hug. I remember plenty of nights drinking with him. Plenty of late night talks. There could have been something between us, once upon a time. "Where the hell have you been, Abby? Everyone's been on the lookout for you! We were all worried!" His accents just as thick as I remember and it feels weird after over a year of Bray's southern drawl. "It's a long story. I'm not supposed to be here so please don't tell anyone." I know that's not going to happen, but it's worth asking anyway. "Not supposed to be here?" He asks, the confusion written all over his face. "I've gotta go, sorry." He grabs me by the wrist, preventing me from leaving. "Abby. What the hell is going on? Are you here with someone?" "Yeah! And he's waiting for me. I gotta go." I see a familiar group walking up behind him and my heart jumps into my throat. He pays no attention to Luke, Erick, and Braun as they pass. Bray walks up behind him and I have no clue what his next move is. Is he going to drag me away? Is he going to start a fight? He gives me a cold stare over Sheamus' shoulder but he keeps walking past us. The hell am I supposed to do now?

"Abby. Talk to me. What's going on?" "Had a mental breakdown last year. Moved. Fell in love. Typical stuff." I laughed nervously. Technically, all of that was true. "Why did you just go missing? No one knew anything." "I didn't want anyone to." He wraps his big arms around me again, his lips inches from my ear. "I'm so glad you're safe. I've looked for you everywhere." That had to be a lie. Bray told me no one cared that I disappeared. That he was the only one that cared for me. I hugged Sheamus back, my face buried in his vest. I'd forgotten how the cologne he wore always made me feel. This is dangerous. He is dangerous. What if Bray steps out of our room to see me hugging him? "I have to go. He's waiting for me." "Who?" "My boyfriend." Boyfriend. That word seemed so small compared to everything Bray is to me. My teacher, my keeper, my love, my world. Sheamus let me go and I can feel his eyes on my back as I cross the short distance to our room. The door's unlocked, I know Bray's inside. I'm not ready for whatever version of the man I love waits behind this door.

He's sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to me as I stood in the doorway. His shoulders are shaking in a way that let's me know he's tapping his foot rapidly, the way he does when he's anxious. "You may as well come in and shut the door." He says flatly. I don't quite know how to approach him and it makes me nervous. Like staring down a rattlesnake that's in your path. I wish I could see his face, read his expression. The door clicks shut lightly behind me. "I'm sorry..." Lightning quick he's up and around the bed, pushing me against the door and planting his hands on the door around me. Trapping me. "I asked you not to leave our room. I asked nicely." He explains, his voice still flat and devoid of emotion. "Why did you leave?" "I'm sorry Bray.." "I didn't ask for an apology. I asked you a question, Abigail. Why did you leave this room?" His face is inches from mine now and I can feel his breath on my cheek. His stare makes me so uncomfortable, like he can see straight into my soul. "I was lonely." He laughs at me as he backs away. "You were lonely. Someone took something from you once, didn't they? And you're searching every soul to get it back. Will you ever be a whole person, Abigail? Will you ever be able to walk upright on your own?" "I am a whole person! I lived without you those months you were gone. All alone in that big house. But I'm not an animal Bray, you can't keep me shut away!" "Am I not showing you enough attention, my pet?" He asks in a patronizing way. Like I'm his property. "Fuck you, Bray Wyatt." He laughs, shaking his head. "How do you propose we explain what just happened? How do we explain you going missing? Why you never officially quit your job?" "Why did you tell me no one was looking for me?" His face contorts momentarily. I've caught him off guard. "I never said that." "Yes you did. Repeatedly. Sheamus just told me he looked for me. " "He never asked me where you were." What a stupidly simple answer. Why would he? No one knew about my game with Bray.

He's pacing now. Back and forth in front of the window. "I didn't kidnap you. I didn't force you to come home with me. You wanted to be in my world, remember?" "I never said you did." "They'll say I did, Abigail. And they'll take you from me. Do you want that?" "Of course not..." I muttered and he snatched the lamp off of the dresser, smashing it. "They'll take you from me." He repeated as he sunk down against the wall until he sat. Three distinct knocks sounded on the door and I knew exactly who it was. When I opened the door Luke tried to step inside, looking around the door at Bray. "Everything's okay. I got him." Luke eyed me warily before putting his hands up and backing away from the door. There was no need for him to tend to every one of Bray's tantrums. "No one's going to take me from you. I'm with you because I want to be." And the fact that I was so immersed in him and his little kingdom that I forgot how to exist as a single person anymore. I suppose Bray is right. There's no way for me to walk upright when I lean on him so heavily. I sit cross legged in front of him, my hands on his knees. "I told him I fell in love. And I meant it. I know you told me to never say that word again, but it happened Bray. No one can take me from you because I love you. I'm yours." He smoothed his hair away from his face with one hand, his eyes looking tired. "And you're mine. That's how this game works now, Bray. Somewhere along the line, the rules got changed."


	9. Monster

Just as Bray had predicted that morning, there was a knock on the door right after he left. When I hesitated to answer the knock sounded again, a little more forceful than before. "Abby I know you're in there. Open up." "I can't, I'm not alone at the moment." I lied through my teeth, hoping he would buy it. "I just passed Bray in the hall. Now open up. I just want to talk." If he passed him in the hall, Bray knows Sheamus is here. What if he doubles back and catches me alone in our room with the big irishman? But I can't really stand outside and talk to him, someone else may see me. And he's obviously not going away. When I opened the door he stood there looking at me, arms crossed over his chest. "Bray Wyatt, Abby? Have ya lost ya marbles?" I look around at the hall before shooing him into the room. No Wyatts in sight. "Why are you so paranoid?" I sigh when he asks, smoothing my hair back absent-mindedly. "I'm not paranoid. It just doesn't look too good to have another man in the room I share with my boyfriend." He stood with his hands on his hips in front of me. He honestly looks so handsome with his pageboy cap and his thick beard, the sleeves of his black shirt rolled up to his elbows. "Look, I can help you get away from him." He offers and I scoff at the idea. "I have no reason to leave Bray." I protest as I take a seat on the edge of the bed.

"The guy's unhinged, Abby. He's mental. I heard the crash inside this room last night. Did he hurt you?" He crosses the room towards me and takes me by the wrists, turning my arms gently and evidently looking for any sort of bruise or mark. "No no no. He treats me like a princess, really. I accidentally knocked over a lamp last night." Getting a little too personal, honestly, he tugs at the collar of my shirt in his quest to find marks. I stopped him when he moved to lift up my shirt. "Sheamus really! I've been with him nearly a year and he's been perfect. He saved my life, honestly." He takes my face in both hands and looks into my eyes. "You wouldn't lie to me, would you Abby? If he was hurting you, would you tell me?" "Yes! And I swear he's not. I know he's...different. But he's good to me. I see a whole different person than everyone else." "That's what worries me." I cover his big hands with my own, moving them from my face to my lap. "I know I went missing on everyone but I wasn't happy. I needed a new start." "I could gave changed things." He offered and I pat his hands in response. "You were always good to me Sheamus, but you deserved someone better than me. A year a go I was so unstable and broken. Bray came along and picked up all my jagged pieces and put me back together." "You even talk like him now." He replied, tucking his hands into his jeans pockets.

"Have the rest of em treated you right?" He asked. "Of course. Luke and Erick are my protectors, and I barely see Braun." In reality I doubted that Luke would ever bother to protect me, but his allegiance to Bray certainly ensured he'd never hurt me. And my guilt over Braun kept me away from him, mostly. "If any of them ever mistreat you, I'll take them out. And I'll get you away from them." His offer made my smile, but I know I'll never need him to be my white knight. "Really, I'm fine." "Then why are you hiding?" "For the same reasons you barged in here and started questioning everything. No one understands Bray, so I think no one would understand our relationship. You automatically assumed he was hurting me, or holding me captive. Whose to say everyone else won't feel that way?" Sheamus looked me in the eyes again with his full of concern. "Cross my heart," I said while making the motion, "no one is hurting me. No one is holding me against my will. I love Bray."

The room door clicks open, breaking the silence that had fallen between us and causing me to jump up. Bray entered the room and my stomach seemingly hits my feet, I don't know what Bray's next move may be. He walks between us deliberately, taking his place by my side and wrapping an arm possessively around my waist. "Hello Sheamus. I see ya'll have been catching up. All good things, I hope?" His hand squeezes my hip ever so slightly, a subtle warning. I wrap my arm around his back, feeling his muscles tight under my hand. Sheamus doesn't answer at first, his eyes are on Bray's hands. "Yeah. Like old times." He replies. "Would you like a beer?" Bray offers, gesturing towards the small refrigerator in the corner with his free hand. "Don't let me interrupt ya'll. It's been so long since Abby had someone other than me and the alligators to talk to." He chuckled, but I can tell there's a bit of a dare in his voice. "No thanks. Actually, I should get going." Sheamus explains, watching my face. "I've got some press appearances tonight." I smile, trying my hardest to convey to him that everything is just fine. His gaze travels from me to Bray before he takes a couple of steps back towards the door. "See you around Abby. Bray." As soon as the door clicks behind the redhead, Bray's grip tightens on me.

"So the knight in shining armor has come back to check on you?" "You know no one is really going to understand our relationship, right baby? They only know you in the ring. He was just concerned." Bray turns to me and pulls me closer, burying his face in my hair. "If only they all knew it was you who has me trapped and not the other way around." He said before lifting me off my feet, pulling my legs around his waist. "Should we let this whole floor know you're here? I'll make you say my name so no one doubts who you're with. Should we let everyone in on our little game?" He lay me back on the bed and covered my throat with kisses, pausing to nip at my collarbones. "If you leave marks on my back, you think that'll show him just why you're with me?" His teeth graze my neck, causing a shiver to run down my spine. "If you leave teeth marks in my skin, will he realize that it's me who has to be weary of you?" His warm hands sneak beneath my t-shirt, sending an electric charge through my body. "I can bring the monster out in you, little girl."


	10. Cautious

My world was spinning as I set on the edge of the bathtub in the hotel room bathroom, clutching a piece of plastic between my fingers with every bit of life I had in me. The pink box I'd discarded on the counter felt like it was mocking me. I'd been told this couldn't happen for me. I'd never be fully a woman because I'd never be able to conceive. But the piece of plastic between my fingers showed two faint lines. Two faint lines that could possibly change my life forever. I'd been here before with a previous partner, I know better than to get my hopes up. I felt like I could throw up for the second time this morning. How am I going to tell the man on the other side of this door? I haven't told him anything about my missed cycle or the sickness or this test. Sucking in a deep breath, I walk to the door and turn the handle. "Are you okay, Abby? You look like you just seen a ghost." Bray remarks from the bed where he's reclining with a book open in his lap. Not knowing what to say I crawl in bed beside him and pass him the test. "I'm a week late. Which is unusual." That broad, warm smile that I so rarely see on his face appears as the realization washes over him.

"Don't get too excited." I warn. "I've been in this situation before, and it ended in heartbreak." He wraps his arm around me, pulling me in closer. "Now don't be like this, honey. This is a gift, you just have to believe in it." It startles him when I finally break down in tears and he pulls me into his lap, wiping my tears away. "Shhh little one. Think happy thoughts." He hugs me closer to his chest, pressing his lips to my forehead. "How great would it be to have a new baby at home? Little cries in the night, tiny smiles in the morning. An endless stream of nursery rhymes and kiddie cartoons. Do you hope for a boy or a girl?" "I can't do this Bray. I can't make plans just to find out again that it's not going to happen." "C'mon, boy or girl? Maybe your eyes, my nose. Hopefully not my forehead..." He remarks. Through my tears I tell him what I'd thought of since I took care of the village boy once while Bray was away. "A girl. With your blue eyes. The spitting image of you. Your nose, your mouth. Your brown hair." He smoothed my hair with his hand, holding my head against him. "No, your hair. My eyes. Maybe my nose, but your pretty lips. What if it's a boy? My height, your build, my hair, your eyes. Hopefully not my forehead." He laughed. "Erick will be so excited, he loves children." He added, lifting the test to see the two lines again. "Please don't tell anyone yet, okay? At least until I know for sure."

He agrees as he moves across the bed to lay beside me, lifting my shirt over my belly. He rests his chin on my bare skin, the light scratch of his beard making my skin prickle. "We're going to be parents. Are we ready for this?" I shake my head. "Honestly no. I mean, you'll be a great father. But I dunno if I'm going to be good at this. I mean, what if I get halfway through and loose the baby? I can't deal with that again. And what if I do have the baby? I'm just barely capable of taking care of myself." "No bad thoughts, darlin. Relax, you're better at taking care of people than you think. You've come so far my Galatea." "You always call me that. What does it mean, Bray?" He chuckles, drawing circles on my skin with his fingertips. "The sculptor Pygmalion created a statue so fair and so beautiful that he fell in love with her. After making an offering to Aphrodite, his statue came to life. Under Aphrodite's blessing they married and had a child together." He moved up my body, pausing in his story to kiss me. "Also, Galatea is greek for 'she who is milk white'. Your skin is so fair and beautiful, I always considered you my beautiful Galatea come to life." Always the sweet talker. He plants kisses across my jaw and down to my collarbones. "Am I your creation, then?" He smiled against my skin as he continued to explore. "I helped polish some rough patches little one, but I can't take all the credit." He paused to kiss my old self harm scars on my wrists. "You were as hard as marble when I found you, but I thanked God for such a beautiful creature when I did. God, Zeus, Aphrodite...whoever is out there sent you to me." He smiled as he lay his palm flat against my stomach. "Hey kid, I can't wait to meet you." He whispered. When I began to cry again he lay on his back, pulling me onto his chest and began running his fingers through my hair. "Don't fret little one. Whatever will be will be. Either way, we'll weather the storm together."


	11. Hopeful

The next few months proved to be quite an emotional rollercoaster. Soon it became company knowledge that I had been found and who I was with. I had to deal with endless questions about wether Bray was good to me. Had he ever hurt me? Did he treat me well? Had he forced me to stay with him? After a while all the questions seemed to run together and I began to get tired of dealing with so many people. Very few of them knew me very well before I left. Most of them were curious, wondering how there ended up being a girl at the center of the Wyatt family. I can only imagine the questions I'll get when it becomes apparent that I'm pregnant. I voluntarily spend most of my time in our hotel room on an endless stream of netflix. I want to go home, but I dare not go without Bray. I begin wishing that creative would run out of things to do with him, just for a little while. Tv needs him, but I need him more right now. At night he lays beside me in bed, rubbing my belly and talking to our baby. He believes everything is just find and that we're having a girl. He says I'm carrying high and showing enough already, it's got to be a girl. He tries to get me to pick out names with him, but I'm still not ready. I'm still not convinced this will be a happy ending.

Luke hurt his knee in a match and had to be sent home. A sweet girl from the village, Mary Lee, volunteered to stay at the house and look after him. Bray muses to me that he suspects she'll be a part of our household before it's all said and done. She had helped me with chores up at the house several times and Bray must have noticed the looks the two exchanged, too. She always made sure Luke could see her, and he watched with a predatory look in his eyes. The whole thing made me feel a bit uneasy, but I suppose all of the men in our household are predators. I certainly didn't stand a chance when it came to Bray. The four of us saw Luke off at the airport for his flight home. Erick clung to him like a child, unwilling to let his best friend leave. In the end I had to take the big ginger by the hand and lead him away before Luke could stand from the wheelchair with his crutches. Bray took the opportunity to hold the bigger man by the back of the neck, whispering something to him before Luke turned and left for the gate. Bray shot me a defeated look as we left the airport. As close as those two are, I know Bray will miss his presence on the road.

The next month Bray held my hand as we walked through the double doors of the clinic. He finally convinced me to let him come. I've been so convinced, after terrible sickness and some harsh side effects, that there won't be a baby anymore and I wouldn't let him come to previous appointments. It makes me nervous that I'm not showing more and I haven't felt the baby move. But Bray laces his fingers between mine as we sit in the waiting room. "Everything's going to be just fine. Just relax darlin." He whispers to me. I feel like every pair of eyes in the room is on us and in the moment I feel about two inches high. I know we're far from conventional looking parents. And I accept it. But I don't know if I'm ready. When the nurse calls my name he helps me to my feet, leading me through the doorway.

He smiles at me, holding my hand as I endure an ultrasound. There won't be a baby anymore. I know it. There's been too many signs that I've seen before. "Everything looks great so far Mommy." The doctor says cheerfully. "Sixteen weeks and seems perfectly healthy. Let's hear that heartbeat." Bray's face lights up when we hear the sound, the whoom whoom rhythm of the little heart. "I told you everything is going to be just fine." He smiles, his grip on my hand tightening. "It's beat is a little slow, but no need to be concerned about it just yet." She points out little hands and feet, the most obvious thing being it's head. "I see it's inheriting my big forehead." Bray muses, making me smile. "Any sign of the gender?" He asks. "Not yet, we may be able to see that in a few weeks." "It's a girl." He proclaims as she prints us a few copies of the ultrasound pictures. "I just have a hunch." The doctor smiles back at him and passes him the pictures. "We shall see, Mr. Wyatt." She turns to me, taking my other hand. "I think we've got a real shot at it this time Abigail. Everything seems to be developing right on time." "But I haven't felt it move yet.." "You will soon enough. Don't fret. Everything is ok right now."

In the car Bray turns to me, his hands finding way to my belly. "See. We still have a baby. So let's move forward now okay? Let's start picking out names. Let me tell the boys. I'll have to leave work before too much longer to be there for you. So in a way, this effects them too." "Okay. Do what you want." I stare at the window, unable to shake the feeling that something just isn't right. Bray busies himself with texting Luke before starting the car and driving us back to the hotel. In the lobby I take his hand, lowering my head as we pass Sheamus and a group of the guys. The big irishman is still convinced Bray is no good for me. In the elevator Bray stands in front of me, his arms on either side of me as he braces his weight on his hands. "Are you ashamed of us?" He asks, his face solemn. "Are you ashamed of this?" He asks as he motions towards my stomach. "What do you mean? Of course I'm not." "Then stop watching the floor little one. Chin up, it's us against the world until I tear it down and rebuild it for us. Don't let anyone intimidate you." I can't muster a smile for him. I feel too drained after the days events. He takes my face in his hands and kisses me. "You're beautiful my Galatea."


	12. Angel in the Dirt

_**A/N: I apologize in advance.**_

Bray was stretched across the bed, his hand and ear to my stomach when we both felt it. His blue eyes were wide when he looked up at me. One of those rare, beautiful smiles of his spread across his face. "Hey there little one." He whispered, rubbing a hand across my skin. "Do it again." He asked, feeling around for another sign. Just the faintest of movements, but we both felt it again. "See? I told you everything is okay." He assured me, sitting up to kiss me. We'd decided the night before, after much debate, that our baby's name would be Raylan or Sadie. His hand slipped across my middle and he grinned again. "I'm telling you. That's little Sadie in there. I just know it."

The next day I took Erick's hand and let him feel the baby move. He was just excited as Bray and I. Before I knew it he was babying me worse than Bray, forbidding me to carry anything and frequently fussing at me to rest. I openly resented the treatment but both men continued to ignore me, almost fighting each other to look after me. I don't know if I'm ready to be a parent yet. Or if I ever will be. But I know Bray is more than ready. Mornings are still rough on me. I wake up every morning in a dash to the bathroom, Bray in tow to hold my hair. This baby seems to be fighting me from the inside, choosing to frequently rest in the most uncomfortable of places. At night Bray sleeps against my back, his hand protectively over our baby. As much as it scares me I hope we make it through this okay. I want this for him more than anything. When the sickness starts lasting longer than a few hours, Bray asks for some time off and we all head home to keep me close to my doctor.

Back at home Erick shoos me out of the kitchen, refusing to let me help. After being told to be on bed rest, he takes to bringing all my meals upstairs for me. I started getting stir crazy, staring at the same four walls everyday that I didn't end up in the doctor's office. Mary Lee joined me upstairs occasionally, keeping me company and watching tv with me. She also filled me in on Luke. How caring for him gave her such a feeling of purpose. The kid's falling fast and I see a lot of myself in her.

During week twenty I won't let Bray leave my side.

Late one night I wake him up in a panic. Extreme pain and other signs have me on the edge. Thirty minutes after being at the hospital we get the news we didn't want to hear. Labor at twenty one weeks. There's a problem with my cervix. When the baby is finally born there's no cry. And the sad look on my doctor's face confirms what I already knew. They whisk the baby away into another room and the nurse asks me if I would like to spend some time with it once they clean it up. I can't but Bray leaves me and enters the other room, electing to look at the baby for the both of us. When he comes back to me his eyes are distant. I ask him not to tell me anything about it. I just can't handle it yet. I ask him to not even tell me the gender yet. Due to intense bleeding the doctors keep me over night. "I need you." I manage to say and he springs from the chair beside the bed and gently crawls in bed beside me. I have to hear his heartbeat. I have to know he's still here. Neither of us slept that night as he held me tight and I wet his t-shirt with my tears. Occasionally I could hear him sniffle too but he tried his best to be strong for me.

The next day we returned home with two tiny boxes in the backseat. One cardboard, the other wooden. As soon as Erick seen me he opened his big arms and I fell into them, burying my face in his shoulder. I let him down too. There would be no little feet in the hallways of this house. He kissed the top of my head several times, hugging me tightly. Bray passed us, somberly carrying the boxes upstairs. Erick volunteers to do anything he can for me and I have to muster a smile for him. Even after all we went through in the past he was still trying to be my protecter. Luke sat on the couch with his leg elevated, Mary Lee sound asleep with her head in his lap. As I went to climb the stairs he called to me. "Abby. I'm...I'm sorry." The sadness in his big brown eyes was killing me inside. Even Luke was pitying me. "Thank you." I manage to whisper before escaping upstairs. Bray had sat the two boxes on our dresser, in plain view from our bed. "If you're okay for a little while I'll um, make arrangements." He offers as I gather clothes and ready for a shower. When I agree he stops in the doorway, his back to me. "You really should look." He encourages. "I had to. And I don't want you to have any regrets about it." "I can't." He nods before stepping through the doorway, heading out to the woodshed.

After a long, hot shower I muster enough courage to look in the cardboard box. The hospital bracelet reading 'Baby Wyatt'. The going home outfit we had picked out months ago. White with tiny green frogs. The receiving blanket. An official looking piece of paper with a tiny footprint. Hastily I dump the contents of my jewelry box into a drawer and place the items in it. I find a home for the mementos in my hope chest at the foot of our bed before I sink into the covers, staring at the wooden box. I don't have enough courage to open that one. From our window I can see Bray shuffling about in the woodshed.

Two hours later Bray entered our room again, still dressed in his leather apron. "Did you look?" He asked and I shook my head no. "Last chance. Are you sure you don't want to?" He asked somberly, holding the wooden box carefully. When I tell him again that I can't he turns and leaves with it, headed back downstairs. I watch from our window as he carries the tiny box into the shed with him. A knock on my room door startles me from watching and Mary Lee walks through the door, making a beeline for me. We cry together until Erick comes in, telling me it's time to go outside. He leads me by the hand outside to the shade tree in the yard. He pauses to watch Bray lift the last few shovels of dirt from the hole and squeezes my hand before leaving to join the rest of the family in the house. A small handmade wooden coffin sits in stark contrast to the green grass beneath it. Bray reaches from the hole and retrieves it, pausing to place it gently in the dirt between his feet. His gaze finds mine and I nod to him before he begins shoveling.

He places the last shovel of dirt back into the hole, pausing to smooth it down. "I'll have a tombstone made, but this'll have to do for now." With a few hits of a hammer he drives a handmade cross into the ground. With that he tosses his dirt caked apron aside and comes to me, wrapping me in his big arms again. "Tell me one thing." I offer to him. "But just one. Boy or girl?" "Sadie." He replied, his voice cracking at the mention of her name. "You were right. A girl." I sob into his shoulder. He pulls me down, taking a seat in the grass and pulling me into his lap. "I'm sorry." I offer weakly and he kisses my forehead, his hand pushing a lock of hair behind my ear. "None of this is your fault. Please don't ever think this is your fault." He assures me. "She's our angel now."

Upstairs I can see the little wooden cross from our window and I claim Bray's rocking chair. I rock with my arms pressed to my chest and he wraps a blanket around my shoulders. "We'll get through this together, my Galatea."


	13. Need

Bray and I spent the next few days apart in silent agreement that we both needed our space. I spent my days in our bed, watching him from our window. But at night he found his way back into our bed, where we sleep apart. He spent a good bit of his days sitting in the grass near her cross. My heart is broken for him. Having never seen her, or held her, I felt less of a sadness for Sadie. I knew from the beginning things wouldn't work out. I always did have a sixth sense for misery. But Bray. I had let Bray down. And he had a glimpse of what could have been. And I know it's eating him alive. It's evident as he sits by the mound of dirt, saying things to her that I'm glad I can't hear. He must hate me.

One night he doesn't come upstairs. I can hear the commotion on the porch. A few loud bangs, glass breaking. I pass Mary Lee in the hall, taking the stairs two at a time. Erick's at the bottom to catch me, holding me off of the floor gently. "You don't need to see him like this." "Erick please. Let me go to him." "Luke's with him." He replied sternly, holding me against his chest. "I need to be with him." He set me back on the floor gently. "I don't know if you're ready for this. But if anyone asks, I couldn't catch you." He advised me, knowing I'd cover for him if Bray got angry later. "Of course." I agreed, rushing towards the screen door.

Just outside of it lay the smashed fragments of a mason jar and the porch smelled strongly of moonshine. He must've been drinking again. Luke sat against the wall of the house with a visibly upset Bray kneeling in front of him. Luke shot me a surprised glance as he held Bray's wrists motionless against his chest with Bray's face buried in his tank top. His hands flexed and balled into fists, grabbing the material of Luke's shirt. "Please just let me go." Bray sobbed. "Don't talk like that." Luke chided. "I need to rest. I'm so tired." He replied. Luke shot me a warning glance before leaning forward and mumbling something into Bray's ear. I could barely make out some of it. "He is dead. Only brother Bray remains. Remember your promise to Abigail." Bray sinks back onto his heels, covering his face with his hands. In the low porch light I can make out some of the scarring on his back, mixed in with the tattoo work around the hems of his tank top. He held his hands out, palms up to Luke. "Because of these hands, she's gone. These hands see nothing but destruction!" He roared. "These hands have buried nearly everything I ever loved. These hands buried Abigail. These hands buried him. And now these hands have buried little Sadie. How long until these hands bury another? I don't want this anymore. I don't want it." Luke reached out then and took his hands in his. He nodded to me over Bray's shoulder and I moved to sit next to him, taking one of Bray's hands in my own. "These hands brought me to you." I told him and he turned his wild eyes to me. "How long until these hands bury you, little one?" "Don't talk like that, you'll scare Sister." Luke chided, still holding Bray's hand in his own. I pressed Bray's upturned palm to my lips, warm flesh and worn leather. Somewhere inside I found the answer to Bray's question. "You killed my old life. And you revived me with these hands. Can't you see, you gave me life?"

Erick, Braun, and Mary Lee moved from behind the screen door as Luke limped back inside, leaving the two of us alone outside. I pulled Bray down to the floor and back against me, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. "Come back to me." I begged against his ear. "I can't do this alone." A sob rocked his shoulders beneath my hands, his face buried in his own hands again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I buried my face in his hair, holding his back tightly against me. "If my body had just been stronger, Sadie could have made it." He said nothing in return at first, making my guilt even worse. "It's not your fault." He replied before carefully standing to his feet and reaching his hand out to me, helping me up as well before pulling me into a bone crushing hug. "Come upstairs with me. Please." I begged, holding both of his hands in mine. "I need you." He nodded against my shoulder and took me by the hand, leading me into the house.

Upstairs in our bed I lay against his chest, my arms wrapped around his middle. "She had your lips, you know? And my nose. And my forehead. And dark hair like mine. Her eyes were shaped like yours but I'll never know what color they were." He shuddered under my hands again as he admitted everything to me in the most coherent voice he'd used all night. "She was so tiny and beautiful, Abby. But it just wasn't meant to be. She's our angel in the dirt now." "We can try again, Bray. Eventually my body has to get it right." He took my hand in his and lifted it to his lips. "We can't make it through this again." He admitted, saying what I knew in my heart to be true. "What about having a family?" He gripped my hand tighter. "You're enough for me, my Galatea."


End file.
